Lighthouse All-Stars Collection XXX ★ Closing The Circle

Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All-Stars

Jazz Invention

40th Anniversary Reunion Concert

With this post, we reach the 30th post dedicated to legendary recordings made at the Lighthouse Cafe and those released by Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All-Stars, with the bassist himself, bringing to a close a series that has meticulously traced the memory of both this iconic club and the group that defined West Coast jazz. And there is no better sense of closure for this cycle than this recording.

Celebrating four decades since the birth of the sound that put Hermosa Beach on the map was no ordinary occasion: it called for bringing the architects of that legend back to the stage. To commemorate the 40th anniversary of the very first notes played at the legendary club, the Lighthouse All-Stars reunited for a concert filled with emotional significance and deep meaning.

Although time had left its mark and the lineup was not quite that of the golden years—marked by the notable absence of Howard Rumsey on bass, as well as the irreplaceable loss of key figures like trombonist Frank Rosolino and drummer Shelly Manne—the spirit of the band remained intact. The reunion featured a formidable lineup: Bob Cooper on tenor saxophone, Bud Shank on alto, Conte Candoli on trumpet, Bob Enevoldsen on valve trombone, Claude Williamson on piano, Monty Budwig on bass, and John Guerin on drums.

With this chapter, we bring a grand finale to the series. However, in the world of jazz—where the record industry can always surprise us with the discovery of an unreleased recording by the Lighthouse All-Stars from their golden era in the 1950s—we prefer to call it a "Finale (For Now)", leaving the door open to whatever the archives might reveal in the future...

Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All-Stars, formed in 1949, were probably the earliest sign that a new jazz centre was emerging, their mix of ex-Herman and ex-Kenton, as well as other California-based musicians forming the kernel of what would soon be all the rage as West Coast Jazz.

This happy reunion marked the 40th anniversary of that coalescence and, in so doing, sets at least one new standard for future reference; not only is this virtually the same line-up that recorded the group's first 12-inch IP (Rumsey's bass, Stan Levey's drums and the late Frank Rosolino's trombone are subbed), but the cover photograph is a 40-year-on mirror image of the original, posed on the same part of Hermosa's beach.

That aside, 40 years have made their music more robust, more obviously passionate, as witness the cooking climax to "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise", where the Shank/Cooper chase sequence excitingly telescopes into polyphony; or Mr Enevoldsen's swaggering reading of "That Old Feeling"; or the rocking "Broadway", which reveals the style's antecedents more clearly, perhaps, than even "Jazz Invention" or "Bernie's Tune", which most sharply focus on their salad days. All in all, there is a spirit in this music which transcends the merely recollective, probably because, rather than attempt to recall an increasingly distant past, these men are reinterpreting it through styles that have developed and grown. Bob Cooper could not have played a convincing "Gee, Baby" in the old days; he makes a moving job of it now, as does Bud Shank with his deeply-felt "Lover Man". It all adds up to a rewarding album. *Chris Sheridan (from Jazz Journal)*

1 - Jazz Invention

(Bob Cooper)

2 - Bernie's Tune

(Miller, Leiber, Stoller)

3 - Lover Man

(Davis, Ramirez, Sherman)

4 - Woody'n You

(Dizzy Gillespie)

5 - Softly, As In A Morning Sunrise

(Hammerstein, Romberg)

6 - That Old Feeling

(Brown, Fain)

7 - Broadway

(Woode, McRae, Bird)

8 - Gee, Baby, Ain't I Good To You

(Razaf, Redman)

9 - Topsy

(Battle, Durham)

10 - Billie’s Bounce

(Charlie Parker)

Bob Cooper (tenor sax, music director), Bud Shank (alto sax),

Conte Candoli (trumpet), Bob Enevoldsen (valve trombone),

Claude Wiliamson (piano), Monty Budwig (bass), John Guerin (drums).

Recorded live at Hermosa Civic Theatre, Hermosa Beach, California, February 12,1989

Lighthouse All-Stars Collection XXIX ★ Jazz On Television (II)

The relationship between jazz and television enjoyed its golden age in the mid-fifties in Los Angeles. Far from the rushed pace of conventional variety shows, network KABC-TV launched Stars of Jazz in 1956, a pioneering program hosted by pianist and composer Bobby Troup. The show not only offered live performances with sound quality and lighting unprecedented for the time, but it also treated jazz with an almost pedagogical respect—explaining arrangements, introducing the musicians, and documenting the effervescence of the West Coast scene in real time.

However, those broadcasts ran the risk of being forgotten in the television network archives. It was in the mid-seventies when the label Calliope Records took on a fundamental task of sound archaeology: rescuing the audio tapes and transcriptions from the Stars of Jazz broadcasts to release them on vinyl for the first time under the Sessions, Live series.

Through Calliope's catalog, the sessions recorded between 1956 and 1958 on the Hollywood soundstages came to light officially, allowing fans to hear unique takes, exclusive arrangements for television, and reunions of musicians that were never captured on traditional studio albums.

In this second post dedicated to jazz on the small screen, the label's two albums featuring Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All-Stars—the central leitmotif of this series—will be presented.

◈◈◈◈

Sessions, Live

Lighthouse All-Stars

Julie London

Bud Shank

and

Chris Connor

(Calliope CAL-3030)

THE LIGHTHOUSE ALL STARS were led by Howard Rumsey, a former member of the Stan Kenton organization.

In 1949, Howard walked into a nightclub in Hermosa Beach, Calif. and sold the management on booking his group for a trial basis.

The result was a fifty two week gig for the next nine years.

Former members of the Lighthouse All Stars have included Shelly Manne, Jimmy Giuffre, Gerry Mulligan, Shorty Rogers and Bud Shank.

Featured guest soloists on these sessions were Bob Cooper, oboe; and Bud Shank, flute on The Nearness of You.

Viva Zapata features the trumpet and pen of Shorty Rogers.

Here's the All Stars, a group that epitomized the sound of West Coast jazz during the fifties.

MISS JULIE LONDON is also featured on side one.

Julie made her first singing debut on local radio in California at the age of three. She impersonated Marlene Dietrich singing Falling In Love Again.

In 1947, Life magazine named Julie the most promising young acting find of that year. On February 18, 1957 she made the cover of Life, only this time she was Julie London, singing star.

Julie's biggest hit was Cry Me A River in 1955.

THE BUD SHANK QUARTET kick off side two.

Bud plays alto and baritone sax plus the flute. He was born in Dayton, Ohio on May 27, 1926, and was regarded as the most important West Coast flutist during the late fifties and sixties.

CHRIS CONNOR hails from Kansas City, Missouri and was a former vocalist with Stan Kenton during the fifties. *(original liner notes)*

Side 1

1 - All The Things You Are

(Jerome Kern, Oscar Hammerstein II)

2 - The Nearness Of You

(Hoagy Carmichael, Ned Washington)

3 - Free And Easy

(Henry Mancini, Bobby Troup)

4 - Midnight Sun

(Lionel Hampton, Sonny Burke, Johnny Mercer)

5 - Viva Zapata!

(Shorty Rogers)

#1, #2, #4, #5:

Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All-Stars:

Conte Candoli (trumpet), Frank Rosolino (trombone), 

Bob Cooper (tenor sax, oboe [#2]), Bud Shank (alto sax, flute [#2])

Vince DeRosa (french horn), Victor Feldman (piano, vibes),

Howard Rumsey (bass), Stan Levey (drums), Jack Costanzo (bongós, percusión [#5])

#3, #4:

Julie London (vocals) with Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All-Stars

Jimmy Rowles replaces Victor Feldman on piano.

Recorded live on "Stars of Jazz", KABC-TV (Channel 7),

Los Angeles, California, May 19, 1958

Side 2

6 - Crazy Rhythm

(Irving Caesar, Joseph Meyer, Roger Wolfe Kahn)

7 - Lover Man

(Jimmy Davis, Ram Ramirez, James Sherman)

8 - 'S Wonderful

(George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin)

9 - Love Walked In

(George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin)

10 - The Lamp Is Low

(Peter DeRose, Bert Shefter, Maurice Ravel)

#6, #7, #10

Bud Shank Quartet:

Bud Shank (alto sax, flute), Claude Williamson (piano),

Don Prell (bass), Chuck Flores (drums).

#8, #9

Chris Connor (vocals) with The Bud Shank Quartet

Recorded live on "Stars of Jazz", KABC-TV (Channel 7),

Los Angeles, California, November 26, 1956 (#6, #7, #10) and May 27, 1957 (#8, #9)

Off Note:

The dates printed on the original LP liner notes are incorrect. This type of chronological mismatch was very common among independent catalog and reissue labels during the 1970s, such as Calliope Records.

Working with magnetic tapes from television broadcasts and kinescope transcriptions salvaged nearly two decades after their original air date, the label frequently relied on imprecise handwritten notes on the master tape boxes or misplaced production indices from KABC-TV. Lacking the cross-referenced data from the Stars of Jazz production logs known today, Calliope lumped under the wrong date of November 5, 1956, what were actually two completely separate broadcasts recorded months apart (the Bud Shank Quartet set on November 26, 1956, and Chris Connor's set on May 27, 1957). An archival oversight that takes nothing away from the extraordinary historical value of these salvaged sessions.

◈◈◈◈

Sessions, Live

Lighthouse All-Stars

June Christy

and

Jimmy Giuffre

(Calliope CAL-3035)

THE LIGHTHOUSE ALL STARS were led by Howard Rumsey, a former member of the Stan Kenton organization.

In 1949 Howard walked into a nightclub in Hermosa Beach, California and sold the management on booking his group for a trial basis.

The result was a fifty two week gig for the next nine years.

Former members of the Lighthouse All Stars have included Shelly Manne, Jimmy Giuffre, Gerry Mulligan, Shorty Rogers and Bud Shank.

JUNE CHRISTY was the voice of Stan Kenton's band. She replaced Anita O'Day and became one of the most popular female vocalists during the late forties and fifties.

JIMMY GIUFFRE hails from Dallas, Texas and plays clarinet, tenor sax and flute.

He played a major role as clarinetist, saxophonist and personality in the groups of both Shorty Rogers and Shelly Manne during the fifties.

NELLIE LUTCHER started playing the piano around the middle of World War I.

She performed mostly on the West Coast and became a favorite at the Interlude Club on Sunset Strip. *(original liner notes)*

Side 1

1 - Somebody Loves Me

(George Gershwin, Ballard MacDonald, B.G. DeSylva)

2 - Sunday Mood

(Bob Cooper)

3 - I Want To Be Happy

(Vincent Youmans, Irving Caesar)

4 - That's All

(Bob Haymes, Alan Brandt)

5 - Witch Doctor

(Bob Cooper, Bob Gioga)

#1, #2, #5

Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All-Stars:

Frank Rosolino (trombone), Bob Cooper (tenor sax, oboe [#2]),

Victor Feldman (piano, vibes, conga [#5]),

Howard Rumsey (bass), Stan Levey (drums).

#3, #4

June Christy (vocals) with Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All-Stars

Lou Levy replaces Victor Feldman on piano.

Recorded live on "Stars of Jazz", KABC-TV (Channel 7),

Los Angeles, California, March 3, 1958

Side 2

6 - Gotta Dance

(Jimmy Giuffre)

7 - Four Brothers

(Jimmy Giuffre)

8 - Blue Skies

(Irving Berlin)

9 - The Nearness Of You

(Hoagy Carmichael, Ned Washington)

10 - Two Kinds of Blues

(Jimmy Giuffre)

#6, #7, #10

The Jimmy Giuffre Three:

Jimmy Giuffre (tenor sax, clarinet), Jim Hall (guitar), Ralph Peña (bass).

#8, #9

Nellie Lutcher (piano, vocals), Ray Brown (bass), Alvin Stoller (drums).

Recorded live on "Stars of Jazz", KABC-TV (Channel 7),

Los Angeles, California, January 7, 1957 (#6, #7, #10) and March 18, 1957 (#8, #9)

Off Note:

Once again, the documentation printed on the original Calliope Records cover presents notable discrepancies with the actual content on the tapes. For labels dedicated to rescuing radio and television material during the 1970s, it was common practice to work with broadcast tape duplicates that lacked accurate technical logs or carried confusing handwritten notes on the master boxes.

While Side 1 accurately places the Lighthouse All-Stars and June Christy performance on the March 3, 1958 broadcast, Side 2 suffers from an obvious cataloging oversight. The printed date of February 18, 1957 actually corresponds to an episode of Stars of Jazz featuring James Clay, Toni Harper, and Lorraine Geller—none of whom appear on this LP. Calliope mistakenly lumped under that single date two shows recorded more than two months apart: The Jimmy Giuffre Three session from January 7, 1957, and Nellie Lutcher’s vocal set from March 18, 1957 (backed by the station’s rhythm section rather than Giuffre's trio). An editorial slip that, while requiring historical clarification, does not lessen the magnificent audio testimony of these broadcasts.

◈◈◈◈

Lighthouse All-Stars Collection XXVI ★ Richie Kamuca

Richie Kamuca

West Coast to East Coast

Live Recordings 1957-1966

Back in action, Outlet kicks off the second half of the year by resuming its series dedicated to Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All-Stars and the live recordings made at the legendary Lighthouse club.

This time, the focus is on saxophonist Richie Kamuca and the quintet he co-led with trumpeter Conte Candoli in 1957. These recordings were previously released by the Xanadu label under the title Bebop Revisited, Volume 5 in 1985.

For this post, we've chosen the recent release from the Barcelona-based label Fresh Sound Records, featuring notes by its owner, Jordi Pujol:

Richie Kamuca (1930–1977) was one of the finest tenor saxophonists of his generation, though never granted the full recognition his artistry deserved. Rising to prominence with Stan Kenton and Woody Herman in the early 1950s, he settled in Los Angeles in 1956 and soon became a leading voice on the West Coast scene, recording and performing with Chet Baker, Shelly Manne, Bill Perkins, Conte Candoli, and many others. Equally at home in big bands, studios, and small groups, Kamuca blended the cool lyricism of Lester Young with the fluent drive of Stan Getz and Zoot Sims, ultimately forging a highly personal style.

This collection brings together live performances from the Lighthouse in 1957, from the celebrated Stars of Jazz television show of that same year, and from his New York period in inspired Half Note sessions with the Roy Eldridge Quintet in 1965–66. Warm-toned, inventive, and deeply melodic, Kamuca is heard here at full maturity: an unjustly overlooked master of the tenor saxophone.

After arriving in Los Angeles in the summer of 1956, Richie Kamuca joined Howard Rumsey's All-Stars at the famed Lighthouse club in Hermosa Beach. He spent a month there replacing Bob Cooper, who was vacationing in Hawaii with June Christy at the time.

He soon established a strong association with the West Coast jazz scene, receiving calls from record producers and fellow musicians alike to appear as a sideman on numerous sessions led by artists such as Chet Baker, Johnny Richards, Marty Paich, Bill Perkins, Stan Levey, Gus Mancuso, Mel Lewis, and Bill Holman. He also spent a brief period with the Med Flory–Al Porcino band, rejoined Stan Kenton for the orchestra's 1956 summer European tour, and later joined Maynard Ferguson after Kenton disbanded following a series of Bay Area engagements in November. Ferguson's saxophone section featured Herb Geller on alto, Kamuca and Nino Tempo on tenors, and Willie Maiden on baritone.

In April 1957, Kamuca returned to the Lighthouse to perform with the house band, which included Conte Candoli on trumpet, Dick Shreve on piano, Stan Levey on drums, and Red Mitchell on bass, replacing Howard Rumsey. Mitchell, who had originally played piano, switched to bass while working with Chubby Jackson in 1949. By then he had earned a formidable reputation as a member of pianist Hampton Hawes's outstanding trio, which also included Kenny Burrell on guitar. Earlier, Mitchell had worked with singer Jackie Paris and guitarist Mundell Lowe, and in 1956 he released his first album as a leader.

During the Lighthouse session that opens this CD, the group stretched out on two standout performances, "Allen's Alley" (also known as "Wee"), by Denzil Best, and Candoli's own "Counting", both of which showcased the band's remarkable cohesion and inventiveness. Kamuca displayed a strong Zoot Sims influence, moving confidently and fluently through the changes with his characteristically relaxed tone, while Candoli matched him with assured solos full of wit and imagination, including a quotation from "The Jeep Is Jumpin'". Shreve and Kamuca supplied effective supporting riffs, and Shreve contributed tasteful, economical solos in a Basie-like manner. Red Mitchell proved indispensable throughout, his rock-solid walking bass lines constantly drawing the ear, and he also delivered an outstanding solo that confirmed his place in the lineage of great bassists such as Jimmy Blanton, Oscar Pettiford, and Ray Brown.

The atmosphere remained relaxed yet highly energized, particularly on "Counting", a blues that allowed Kamuca to unfold one of his most fluent statements while Candoli's phrasing reflected his roots in the Dizzy Gillespie tradition. Both performances also highlighted the band's love of rhythmic exchanges, with Kamuca, Candoli, and Levey trading eights, fours, and even altered subdivisions, demonstrating both technical command and a playful sense of swing. These extended performances capture a group thoroughly enjoying itself while operating at a very high musical level. *Jordi Pujol (from the liner notes)*

1 - Allen's Alley

(Denzil Best)

2 - Counting

(Conte Candoli)

3 - Too Close For Comfort

(Jerry Bock, Larry Holofcener, George David Weiss)

4 - What's New

(Bob Haggart, Johnny Burke)

5 - Just Friends

(John Klenner, Sam M. Lewis)

6 - Sweet Sue

(Will J. Harris, Victor Young)

7 - Comin' Home Baby

(Herbie Mann)

8 - Stompin' At The Savoy

(Benny Goodman, Chick Webb, Edgar Sampson)

9 - Hackensack

(Thelonious Monk)

10 - Take The "A" Train

(Billy Strayhorn)

11 - In A Mellotone

(Duke Ellington)

#1 and #2

The Conte Candoli~Richie Kamuca Quintet:

Conte Candoli (trumpet), Richie Kamuca (tenor sax),

Dick Shreve (piano), Red Mitchell (bass), Stan Levey (drums).

Recorded live at the Lighthouse, Hermosa Beach, California, April 17, 1957

#3 #4, #5

The Richie Kamuca~Leroy Vinnegar Quintet:

Richie Kamuca (tenor sax), Carl Perkins (piano),

Leroy Vinnegar (bass), Tony Bazley (drums).

Recorded at "Stars of Jazz" TV show,

ABC Studios, Los Angeles, California, October 21, 1957

#6 to #11

Roy Eldridge~Richie Kamuca Quintet:

Roy Eldridge (trumpet); Richie Kamuca (tenor sax); Dick Katz (piano);

Tommy Potter [#10], Don Moore [#11] (basses); Eddie Locke (drums).

Recorded live at the Half Note, New York City,

August 20, 1965 (#6 to #9) and March, 25, 1966 (#10, #11)

Five-Star Collection... The Concert Jazz Band (I)

In late 1960, Gerry Mulligan shaped one of the most ambitious projects of his career: the Concert Jazz Band, an orchestra that, in the midst of the economic decline of big bands, openly defied the market conditions of the jazz scene at the time. Far from any retrospective gesture, the ensemble proposed a reformulation of modern orchestral language, transferring to the expanded format the principles of textural clarity, counterpoint, and interaction that Mulligan had developed in his pianeless formations since the early 1950s.

The initial support of the project was made possible thanks to an agreement with Norman Granz, producer of Verve Records, who guaranteed the financial backing necessary to keep an orchestra of these characteristics active. Within this framework, and in a remarkably brief span of time —between May 1960 and December 1961—, the Concert Jazz Band established the complete core of its discographic production.

In chronological order, this corpus can be reconstructed from five titles that are considered the main body of work of the orchestra:

The Concert Jazz Band — sessions from May and July 1960 in New York, Gerry Mulligan and the Concert Jazz Band on Tour — recordings from the October–November 1960 tour in the United States and Europe, Gerry Mulligan and the Concert Jazz Band at the Village Vanguard — recorded on December 11, 1960 in New York, Gerry Mulligan Presents a Concert in Jazz — sessions from July 1961 at Webster Hall, and Gerry Mulligan '63 — recorded in December 1962.

Viewed in this way, the project appears as a complete arc that coordinates studio, tour, and live documentation, allowing one to follow the evolution of the ensemble from its initial formulation to its point of maximum elaboration.

This artistic development, however, was abruptly interrupted by non-musical factors. Granz's sale of Verve to MGM put an end to the financing scheme that made the orchestra viable, forcing its dissolution shortly after the 1961 sessions, at the very moment when the group had reached its highest degree of cohesion and aesthetic definition.

Contemporary critical reception not only accompanied this process, but also consecrated it. In the pages of DownBeat magazine, three of these recordings obtained the maximum rating of five stars: the debut album The Concert Jazz Band, reviewed by Don DeMicheal in the December 8, 1960 issue; the live recording at the Village Vanguard; and Gerry Mulligan '63, whose assessment underscores the level of integration achieved by the orchestra in its final stage. Read together, these reviews trace a sort of critical arc that accompanies the trajectory of the group: from the initial affirmation of its viability, through the confirmation of its effectiveness live, to its consecration as one of the most accomplished orchestral achievements of modern jazz.

In that sense, the Concert Jazz Band asserts itself as one of the most unique orchestral formulations of its time, and one of the last great reformulations of the big band language in 20th-century jazz; although its existence was brief, the recordings it left behind still allow us today to perceive, with remarkable clarity, the creative impulse that gave it birth.

Without prejudice to focusing later on the two remaining productions that complete this corpus, let us dedicate the next three entries to examining the albums from this pentalogy that were honored by DownBeat magazine with its highest rating...

Gerry Mulligan

The Concert Jazz Band

In deciding on the instrumentation for the new band that makes its album debut here, Gerry Mulligan says: "I wanted the same clarity of sound and interplay of lines that I had in the smaller groups. 

"We have a clarinet in the reed section, not primarily for a clarinet-lead effect but for a sound contributing to the ensemble in general. As for the soloists, I wanted to use just a few men for the bulk of the solo work, so that they would be heard enough for the audience to become familiar to their styles."

What he has built, says Gerry, is essentially a concert band —a jazz band for listening— and it was on this premise that the band's first tour was arranged by Norman Granz for the fall of 1960. 

Further words are unnecessary. The album delivers its own exciting message: that this is the best new jazz orchestra of the year. *Leonard Feather (from the liner notes)*

Big bands in jazz have generally been of two sorts. The first reflects the thinking of such men as Fletcher Henderson and Don Redman, that of three sections –brass, reeds, rhythm –working as individual units within the whole, sometimes together, other times in opposition or in response to each other. While this concept is definitely tied to early jazz, it has stronger affiliations with brass bands and European music; and while there is room for individual contributions in the form of solos, the main emphasis is on group cohesion. The arranger is the controller. The major function of such bands is to provide dance music.

The other big-band concept stems from the thinking of Duke Ellington. The three sections are present as in the other, and the arranger is still important. But the individual members are not subservient to either section or pen. The part must fit the man, not vice versa. The spirit is that of a small jazz group, although the context is that of a big band. The brilliance and colors of numerous instruments can be achieved when desired, but –and this is the crucial difference between the two concepts –the creativity, freedom, and interaction of individuals found in small groups is retained. Such bands produce music the primary function of which is to stimulate the listener's ear, not his feet.

The Mulligan band is firmly in the Ellington camp. It is not an Ellington imitation, though Sweet and Low is a deep bow in Duke's direction, but reflects the feel, the spirit of Ellington –the feel, the spirit of small group jazz.

More specifically, it is an extension and expansion of Mulligan's concept as we've come to know it through his quartet and sextet: the combination of extremes –simplicity with complexity, cool intellectualism with hot-blooded emotion, sophistication with guts.

Because of these many facets and of the variety of emotional experience the band offers, I feel this is the most important big band in jazz today. (In person the impact of the band is even greater than on this album. It is unfortunate that Mulligan intends to disband, but the band is scheduled to reorganize later in 1961.)

It is not a blasting band; in many ways it is reminiscent of the Claude Thornhill Band when Gil Evans was writing for it. Attention is paid to blend, control, and dynamics. By using another baritone in the sax section, Mulligan retains fulness behind his solos. The brass is usually voiced close, giving it a subdued, almost muffled sound. Even in the shout choruses the brass keeps it head and depth.

Lewis and Clark, the rhythm section on all but one track and the one that toured with the band, are superlative. The rhythm is always firm yet never too tight. These two are the source of the band's relaxation. They push the whole band but do it unobtrusively. What Lewis plays fits so well and logically that at times the listener might miss his contribution, but on careful listening, you realize he's kicking everybody. Lewis is the Dave Tough of his time –a drummer felt more than heard.

The main soloists on the record are Mulligan, Brookmeyer, and Sims.

Mulligan builds his solos with more care than he has in some time. Each phrase relates to the next; each solo is like a story. He plays well on all tracks, but his most touching work is on Valentine and the lovely Django Reinhardt ballad Manoir de Mes Reves.

Brookmeyer's playing is the best I've heard him do. He seems to have found his true element in this band. Wit and melodiousness he always had, but here there's a fire that wasn't burning so brightly in the past. He has a gusty, burry, wonderful solo on his own arrangement of Advantage; in one place his fill over the saxes is nothing but a breathy slur –no brass sound, just breath.

Sims hasn't as much blowing room on the record as he has in person –he doesn't play in the section but is featured on a couple of tunes each set –but he has a meaty solo on Bweebida Bobbida.

This is one of the best records of 1960.

*Don DeMicheal (Down Beat, December 8, 1960 [5 stars])*

Side 1

1 - Sweet And Low

(Harry Warren, Al Dubin)

2 - Bweebida Bobbida

(Gerry Mulligan)

3 - Manoir De Mes Rêves (Django's Castle)

(Django Reinhardt)

4 - You Took Advantage Of Me

(Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart)

Side 2

5 - Out Of This World

(Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer)

6 - My Funny Valentine

(Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart)

7 - Broadway

(Henry Woode, Teddy McRae, Bill Bird)

8 - I'm Gonna Go Fishin'

(Duke Ellington, Peggy Lee)

Gerry Mulligan (baritone sax); Don Ferrara, Conte Candoli, Nick Travis (trumpets [#1 to #7]);

Don Ferrara, Danny Stiles, Phil Sunkel (trumpets [#8];

Wayne Andre (trombone); Alan Raph (bass trombone);

Bob Brookmeyer (valve trombone); Dick Meldonian (alto sax); Gene Quill (alto sax, clarinet);

Zoot Sims[#1 to #7], Jim Reider [#8] (tenor saxes); Gene Allen (baritone sax, bass clarinet); 

Buddy Clark [#1 to #7], Bill Tackus [#8] (basses):

Mel Lewis [#1 to #7], Dave Bailey [#8] (drums).

Recorded at Plaza Sound Studios, New York City, May 21 [#8],

July 25 [#1 to #4] and July 27 [#5 to #7], 1960

✤✤✤✤

For those who prefer the digital version of the Concert Jazz Band's debut album, there are several options. One of them is the one presented by the Poll Winners Records label titled The Concert Jazz Band • The First Album.

This edition brings together the complete original Gerry Mulligan LP, The Concert Jazz Band (Verve V6-8388), which marked the discographic debut of this extraordinary big band formation. Its tracks feature the presence of stellar figures such as Zoot Sims, Bob Brookmeyer, Conte Candoli, Gene Quill, Mel Lewis, and, of course, Mulligan himself. As a bonus, the disc incorporates all surviving tunes from the band’s second studio session —recorded in between the three sessions that made up the original LP—, as well as three tracks recorded live in Milan, four months after completing the album.

Gerry Mulligan

The Concert Jazz Band

The First Album

1 - Sweet And Low

(Harry Warren, Al Dubin)

2 - Bweebida Bobbida

(Gerry Mulligan)

3 - Manoir De Mes Rêves (Django's Castle)

(Django Reinhardt)

4 - You Took Advantage Of Me

(Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart)

5 - Out Of This World

(Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer)

6 - My Funny Valentine

(Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart)

7 - Broadway

(Henry Woode, Teddy McRae, Bill Bird)

8 - I'm Gonna Go Fishin'

(Duke Ellington, Peggy Lee)

9 - I Know, Don't Know How

(Gerry Mulligan)

10 - Barbara's Theme

(Johnny Mandel)

11 - Sweet And Slow (first version)

(Harry Warren, Al Dubin)

12 - Out Of This World (first version)

(Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer)

13 - Go Home (live in Milan, 1960)

(Ben Webster)

14 - Apple Core (live in Milan, 1960)

(Gerry Mulligan)

15 - Barbara's Theme (live in Milan, 1960)

(Johnny Mandel)

#1 to #8:

Gerry Mulligan (baritone sax); Don Ferrara, Conte Candoli, Nick Travis (trumpets [#1 to #7]);

Don Ferrara, Danny Stiles, Phil Sunkel (trumpets [#8]);

Wayne Andre (trombone); Alan Raph (bass trombone);

Bob Brookmeyer (valve trombone); Dick Meldonian (alto sax); Gene Quill (alto sax, clarinet);

Zoot Sims[#1 to #7], Jim Reider [#8] (tenor saxes); Gene Allen (baritone sax, bass clarinet); 

Buddy Clark [#1 to #7], Bill Tackus [#8] (basses):

Mel Lewis [#1 to #7], Dave Bailey [#8] (drums).

Recorded at Plaza Sound Studios, New York City, May 21 [#8],

July 25 [#1 to #4] and July 27 [#5 to #7], 1960

#9, #10, #11, #12:

Gerry Mulligan (baritone sax); Don Ferrara, Danny Stiles, Phil Sunkel (trumpets);

Wayne Andre (trombone); Alan Raph (bass trombone); Bob Brookmeyer (valve trombone);

Dick Meldonian (alto sax); Gene Quill (alto sax, clarinet); Jim Reider (tenor sax);

Gene Allen (baritone sax, bass clarinet); Bill Tackus (bass); Dave Bailey (drums).

Recorded at Plaza Sound Studios, New York City, June 1, 2 and 3, 1960

#13, #14, #15:

Gerry Mulligan (baritone sax); Don Ferrara, Conte Candoli, Nick Travis (trumpets);

Wayne Andre (trombone); Alan Raph (bass trombone); Bob Brookmeyer (valve trombone);

Bob Donovan (alto sax); Gene Quill (alto sax, clarinet); Zoot Sims, Jim Reider (tenor saxes);

Gene Allen (baritone sax, bass clarinet); Buddy Clark (bass): Mel Lewis (drums).

Recorded live at Teatro Lirico, Milan, Italy, November 14, 1960

Lighthouse All-Stars Collection XXV ★ with Gerry Mulligan

Gerry Mulligan

Swing House

Gerry Mulligan On The West Coast 

Rare Ands Unissued Recordings • 1952

✤✤

More Mulligan at The Lighthouse

At the end of 1951, fleeing police pressure in New York, Gerry Mulligan embarked on a journey to the West Coast that would permanently reshape his career and the sound of modern jazz. Freshly arrived in Los Angeles, the saxophonist split his creative focus between commercial discipline—crafting dance arrangements for the Stan Kenton Orchestra—and the absolute freedom of the local club scene. It was in these informal settings that the passion and tape recorder of Bob Andrews captured, on an amateur yet historically invaluable basis, the very jam sessions that document Mulligan's transition toward worldwide acclaim and the birth of his legendary piano-less quartet. This crucial historical testament is beautifully captured by Ken Poston in the original liner notes:

At the end of 1951 Gerry Mulligan decided to leave New York and head west to Los Angeles. The vice squad had started putting heavy pressure on jazz musicians and Gerry didn’t want to put up with it any longer. His girlfriend, Gale Madden, had paved the way for Gerry to write arrangements for Stan Kenton once they got to Los Angeles. In the middle of the winter they left Manhattan and hitchhiked all the way to the west coast.

Once there they moved into the Harvey Hotel and Gerry fulfilled his writing assignment for Kenton. He also began sitting in around town at whatever jam sessions he could find. There were three places in particular that he frequented; the Showtime, in the San Fernando Valley, the Lighthouse in Hermosa Beach and the Haig in the mid-Wilshire district.

Most of the recordings on this collection were made by Bob Andrews, jazz fan, record store owner and amateur recording engineer. In 1952 he had just started to take his tape recorder to local jazz clubs and although nothing has materialized from the Showtime he did capture Gerry Mulligan several times at the Lighthouse and the Haig. In addition to the jam session recordings we’ve included a few of the lesser heard dance arrangements he wrote for Kenton in 1952.

This is an important historical document because it captures Gerry just a few months after his arrival in Los Angeles and follows his progress up to the point he forms the piano-less quartet. Although he had many accomplishments by the time he came to Los Angeles, he was far from a household name in the jazz world. By the end of the year he had gained world wide attention and was instrumental in establishing the west coast jazz phenomenon.

*Ken Poston (from the liner notes)*

1 - Indiana

(James F. Hanley, Ballard MacDonald)

This is the earliest of the Bob Andrews recordings that captured Gerry Mulligan sitting in around Los Angeles. This was actually recorded on a Saturday night and features Mulligan joining the Lighthouse rhythm section.

Gerry Mulligan (baritone sax), Frank Patchen (piano)

Howard Rumsey (bass), Shelly Manne (drums).

Recorded live at the Lighthouse, Hermosa Beach, May 10, 1952

2 - Robbins' Nest

(Illinois Jacquet, Sir Charles Thompson)

"Robbins' Nest" features Mulligan sitting in with the Lighthouse All Stars at one of the legendary Sunday sessions at the Lighthouse.

Gerry Mulligan (baritone sax); Shorty Rogers (trumpet);

Jimmy Giuffre, Bob Cooper (tenor saxes); Frank Patchen (piano);

Howard Rumsey (bass); Shelly Manne (drums).

Recorded live at the Lighthouse, Hermosa Beach, June 1, 1952

3 - Tiny's Blues

(Tiny Kahn)

Two nights later Mulligan was running the off-night jam session at the Haig and on this occasion Gerry played the tenor as opposed to the baritone. Tiny's Blues has been issued a few times over the years but always with the incorrect date. This recording comes from Bob Andrews original reel which has the recording date documented on the box.

Gerry Mulligan, Dave Pell (tenor saxes), Ted Ottison (trumpet);

Paul Smith (piano); Joe Mondragon (bass); Billy Wilson (drums).

Recorded live at The Haig, Los Angeles, June 3, 1952

4 - Rose Room

(Art Hickman, Harry Williams)

Bob Andrews captured Gerry once again the following week at the Haig. Gerry ran things from the bandstand but it was an open session for anyone who wanted to play. On this particular occasion both Conrad Gozzo and Gene Roland dropped by.

Gerry Mulligan (baritone sax); Conrad Gozzo, Gene Roland (trumpets);

Jimmy Rowles (piano); Howard Roberts (guitar); Joe Mondragon (bass); Unknown (drums).

Recorded live at The Haig, Los Angeles, June 10, 1952

5 - It's Sand Man

(Ed Lewis)

The jam sessions at the Lighthouse worked a little different than those at the Haig. Howard Rumsey invited specific guests although he did allow others to sit in throughout the day. This is the working Lighthouse All Stars with Andy Lambert subbing for Rumsey.

Gerry Mulligan (baritone sax), Shorty Rogers (trumpet),

Jimmy Giuffre (tenor sax), Milt Bernhart (trombone),

Frank Patchen (piano), Andy Lambert (bass), Shelly Manne (drums).

Recorded live at the Lighthouse, Hermosa Beach, June 14, 1952

6 - Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea

(Harold Arlen, Ted Koehler)

More from the June 14 session. Aaron Sachs and Tommy Potter were both in town with Earl Hines band and Howard recruited them to come down for the session.

Gerry Mulligan (baritone sax), Aaron Sachs (clarinet),

Jimmy Giuffre (tenor sax), Frank Patchen (piano),

Tommy Potter (bass), Shelly Manne (drums).

Recorded live at the Lighthouse, Hermosa Beach, June 14, 1952

7 - Get Happy / Utter Chaos

(Harold Arlen, Ted Koehler / Gerry Mulligan)

Red Norvo came in as the featured attraction and the house piano was put into storage. Instead of continuing the jam session format on Tuesday nights Gerry formed his own group and the "piano-less quartet" was born. Gerry handpicked the group from musicians he had played with around town and included Chet Baker at the suggestion of Bob Whitlock. This recording was not made by Bob Andrews, but by another fan that sent the tape to Mulligan many years later. August 1952 is the date written on the tape box although it's possible it comes from a bit later. If it is August of 1952 it would be right at the beginning of the quartet.

Gerry Mulligan Quartet:

Gerry Mulligan (baritone sax), Chet Baker (trumpet),

Bob Whitlock (bass), Chico Hamilton (drums).

Recorded live at The Haig, Los Angeles, August, 1952

8 - Bweebida Bobbida

(Gerry Mulligan)

In October of 1952 Shorty Rogers had been a regular member of the Lighthouse All Stars for a year. Shorty had recorded under his own name, separate from the All Stars, and was really beginning to make a name for himself. Howard Rumsey used to allow him to take nights off from the Lighthouse so he could lead his own band for special engagements. During the fall Shorty formed a super group that included both Mulligan and Chet Baker as well as Art Pepper and Wardell Gray. The Mulligan group had completed their first engagement at the Haig and recorded their first sides for the new Pacific Jazz label. This Shorty Rogers group did at least two engagements. The first was a Gene Norman concert at The Rendezvous Ballroom, which was released on two LAJI members only CDs. This engagement took place at the 5-4 Ballroom in south central Los Angeles.

Shorty Rogers and His Giants:

Shorty Rogers, Chet Baker (trumpets); Art Pepper (alto sax);

Wardell Gray (tenor sax); Gerry Mulligan (baritone sax);

John Graas (french horn); Hampton Hawes (p);

Joe Mondragon (bass); Lawrence Marable (drums).

Recorded live at 5-4 Ballroom, Los Angeles, October 10, 1952

9 - Too Marvelous For Words

(Richard A. Whiting, Johnny Mercer)

"Too Marvelous for Words" was featured a few times by the Kenton Orchestra including this 1952 broadcast of the Bob Snydor Show. The original handwritten score is dated February 4, 1952.

Stan Kenton Orchestra:

Buddy Childers, Maynard Ferguson, Conte Candoli, Don Dennis, Ruben McFall (trumpets);

Bob Burgess, Frank Rosolino, Keith Moon, Bill Russo (trombones);

George Roberts (bass trombone);  Dick Meldonian, Vinnie Dean (alto saxes);

Lee Elliott, Bill Holman (tenor saxes); Bob Gioga (baritone sax);

Stan Kenton (piano); Sal Salvador (guitar) Don Bagley (bass) Stan Levey (drums).

Bob Snydor Show, Bristol, Connecticut, July 13, 1952

10 - All The Things You Are

(Jerome Kern, Oscar Hammerstein II)

"All the Things You Are" was featured regularly during the New Concepts of Artistry in Rhythm period and was a feature for Buddy Childers. This recording comes from a Concert in Miniature broadcast from September of 1952. The original score is dated March 9, 1952.

Stan Kenton Orchestra:

Buddy Childers, Maynard Ferguson, Conte Candoli, Don Dennis, Ruben McFall (trumpets);

Bob Burgess, Frank Rosolino, Keith Moon, Bill Russo (trombones);

George Roberts (bass trombone); Lee Konitz, Vinnie Dean (alto saxes);

Bill Holman, Richie Kamuca (tenor saxes); Bob Gioga (baritone sax);

Stan Kenton (piano); Sal Salvador (guitar); Don Bagley (bass); Stan Levey (drums).

Concert in Miniature, Fort Sheridan, Illinois, September 2, 1952

11 - Dancing In The Dark

(Arthur Schwartz, Howard Dietz)

"Dancing in the Dark" wasn't played often but had stayed in the book for many years. It was one of the earliest arrangements Gerry wrote not long after his arrival in Los Angeles. The original score is dated January 19, 1952.

Stan Kenton Orchestra:

Jack Sheldon, Frank Higgins, Billy Catalano, Bob Ojeda, Bud Brisbois (trumpets);

Billy Smiley, Archie LeCoque, Kurt Larsen, Jim Amlotte, Bob Olson (trombones);

Steve Perlow, Bill Perkins, Lennie Niehaus, Bill Trujillo, Bill Robinson (reeds);

Stan Kenton (piano); Red Kelly (bass); Jerry McKenzie (drums).

Holiday Ballroom, Chicago, Illinois, October 10, 1958

12 - Where Or When

(Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart)

"Where or When" is another dance arrangement that stayed in the book for a long time. The original score is dated January 19, 1952.

Stan Kenton Orchestra:

Frank Huggins, Bud Brisbois, Rolf Ericson, Joe Burnett, Roger Middleton (trumpets);

Archie LeCoque, Kent Larsen, Jimmy Knepper (trombones);

Jim Amlotte, Bill Smiley (bass trombones); Lennie Niehaus (alto sax);

Bill Trujillo, John Bonnie (tenor saxes); Billy Root, Sture Swenson (baritone saxes);

Stan Kenton (piano); Scott LaFaro (bass); Jerry McKenzie (drums).

County Fair Building, Ukiah, California, February 26, 1959

13 - Begin The Beguine

(Cole Porter)

The original score to "Begin the Beguine" is dated March 1952. Gerry never said much about his dance charts for Kenton other than joking he was given "dogs work." He did however make special note of Begin the Beguine since Artie Shaw was one of his early idols.

Stan Kenton Orchestra:

Bud Brisbois, Dalton Smith, Bill Chase, Danny Nolan, Rolf Ericson (trumpets);

Bob Fitzpatrick, Kent Larsen, Bill Smiley (trombones);

Jim Amlotte, Bob Knight (bass trombones); Lennie Niehaus (alto sax);

Bill Trujillo, Ronnie Rubin (tenor saxes); Jack Nimitz, Marvin Holladay (baritone saxes);

Stan Kenton (piano); Peter Chivily (bass); Jimmy Campbell (drums); Mike Pacheco (percussion).

Enlisted Mens Club, Barstow, California, January 30, 1960

Lighthouse All-Stars Collection XIII

Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All-Stars

On The Air 1957

Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All-Stars On the Air features two complete radio broadcasts from late 1957. These broadcasts come from a short-lived program called Nightlife which aired on KMLA 100.3 FM beginning in the fall of 1957.

We're very fortunate that these broadcasts exist, especially when you consider the state of FM radio in 1957. FM was still somewhat a novelty and programming was mostly classical music, easy listening and other non-popular programming. As a matter of fact, most popular brands of radios that were available at that time didn't even have an FM band. AM was still king and would remain so for another 20 plus years. Besides the fact that FM wasn't widely listened to, this was a local broadcast that aired at 11:30 pm on Wednesday nights. It was a live broadcast so the only way for these programs to survive was for someone to record them off the air. (...)

These KMLA broadcasts represent a time of transition in the Lighthouse personnel and come at a time when the All-Stars were not well represented on commercial recordings. The working All-Stars unit made their last record for the Contemporary label in October of 1956, the classic "Music For Lighthousekeeping". There was one final recording for Contemporary in March of 1957 that featured an augmented version of the All-Stars to fill out a 12" release of "In The Solo Spotlight". (...)

For this members-only CD we have included two full broadcasts both with the same personnel: Conte Candoli, Bob Cooper, Frank Rosolino, Victor Feldman, Howard Rumsey and Stan Levey. One broadcast comes from November 20, 1957 and the other from December 18 featuring a special program devoted to the music of Bob Cooper.

Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All-Stars On the Air gives us a rare opportunity to transport ourselves back to the Lighthouse in Hermosa Beach circa 1957 to experience the West Coast Jazz scene at it's finest. *Ken Poston (from the liner notes)*

1 - I Deal • Broadcast Introduction

(Sonny Clark) • (Donn Harling [Announcer])

2 - Jazz Invention

(Bob Cooper)

3 - Nightlife

(Bob Cooper)

4 - Lighthouse Commercial

(Donn Harling [Announcer])

5 - Octavia

(Bob Cooper)

6 - Moto

(Bob Cooper)

7 - Lighthouse Commercial

(Donn Harling [Announcer])

8 - Snap The Whip

(Bob Cooper)

9 - Topsy

(Durham, Battle)

10 - Jubilation

(Bob Cooper)

11 - Somebody Loves Me

(Gershwin, MacDonald, DeSylva)

12 - Round Midnight

(Thelonious Monk)

13 - Confirmation

(Charlie Parker)

14 - Musician Introductions • Lighthouse Commercial

(Donn Harling [Announcer])

15 - Long Ago And Far Away

(Kern, Gershwin)

16 - Topsy • Broadcast Closing

(Durham, Battle)

Howard Rumsey (leader, bass), Conte Candoli (trumpet), Bob Cooper (tenor sax),

Frank Rosolino (trombone), Victor Feldman (piano, vibes), Stan Levey (drums).

KMLA's "Night Life" Broadcast from Lighthouse Cafe,

September 19 (#1 to #6) and November 20 (#7 to #16), 1957

Lighthouse All-Stars Collection XII

In the remaining chapters of our Lighthouse All-Stars series, we'll go straight to where the magic happened. The albums we have left to present are live recordings, captured right there in that Pacific sanctuary known as the Lighthouse Café.

If you think about it, the story is incredible. Picture Howard Rumsey—who had been playing with Stan Kenton—walking along the Hermosa Beach boardwalk in 1949 and stepping into a somewhat gloomy, nautical-themed bar that had almost no customers. The owner was John Levine, a millionaire and obsessive gambler who had recently purchased the place. When Rumsey pitched the idea of playing jazz, Levine was blunt: he told him that Sunday afternoons were the worst possible time to sell liquor. But Rumsey, who already had his eye on a grand piano Levine had installed, stood his ground and asked for a chance to prove that the music would bring in the crowds.

For that first Sunday on May 29, 1949, Rumsey recruited the most powerful musicians he could find in the city. They threw the front doors wide open and, to Levine's surprise, the place packed out immediately. The display of talent from those soloists was so immense that the group's name was born right then and there: the Lighthouse All-Stars. That single bet transformed a nearly non-existent beach bar into the epicenter of the West Coast scene for the next 22 years.

What you will hear in these recordings isn't that "anaemic" jazz that some critics used to associate with California; this music has muscle. Rumsey was a strategist who systematically refused to take the band on tour because he wanted the club to be a place of pilgrimage. He forced everyone, from Hollywood stars to record label executives, to drive down to Hermosa Beach just to see what was happening on that bandstand. The club eventually became the perfect haven for musicians who, tired of the road, were looking to play top-tier jazz and finally settle down under the sun.

Everything happened on that stage. It is said that even Charlie Parker himself showed up one day and stayed for two hours playing tenor sax. For the club's history, this happened, and it remains one of its most sacred anecdotes; even if for the official discography it remains a "myth" without physical evidence, the legend is an inseparable part of the atmosphere there. As you listen to these tracks, you will hear the clinking of the cash register and the murmur of a crowd that sometimes attended in their swimwear. It is, quite literally, the sound of jazz history being recorded as it unfolded in front of the waves.

To open this final part of the series, we will focus on three extremely special and hard-to-find volumes, released by the Los Angeles Jazz Institute (LAJI).

The LAJI is more than just an institution; it is the sanctuary that guards the memory of West Coast Jazz. Thanks to their preservation efforts, they have rescued unissued recordings that would have otherwise vanished. These first three albums I am presenting are exclusive editions, originally released only for Institute members. They are true treasures capturing intimate and vibrant moments at the club—recordings that aren’t found through regular commercial channels and have become genuine collector's items today.

It is truly a pity that, due to the very nature of these highly restricted archive editions, the blog cannot secure all of these recordings to share with all of you. Accessing this material is almost a task of musical archaeology; they are records that remain, for the most part, reserved for members or for those collectors lucky enough to stumble upon a stray copy. Nevertheless, the value of these three volumes is immeasurable in understanding what was actually happening on the Lighthouse stage when the cameras and major labels weren't watching.

Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All-Stars

Modern Jazz a la Lighthouse

The Los Angeles Jazz Institute, under the guidance of Howard Rumsey, has been granted permission to relaunch The Lighthouse Record Company.

The Lighthouse Cafe in Hermosa Beach, California was the symbolic headquarters of the West Coast Jazz movement of the 1950s and Howard Rumsey’s Lighthouse All-Stars became one of the most important groups of the decade. Sundays at the Lighthouse became a Southern California tradition because of the legendary marathon sessions that took place every week with visiting guest musicians augmenting the All Stars lineup.

Our first "members only" release features several different eras of the Lighthouse All Stars recorded live over a five year period. Many of these recordings took place during Sunday sessions at The Lighthouse so a variety of guest artists are included as well.

This is an important historical document which displays the significant role that the Lighthouse played in the development of modern jazz in Southern California and we are happy to be able to share it with you. *Ken Poston (from the liner notes)*

Note:

The recordings on this CD come from a variety of sources, some of which were recorded under non-professional conditions. We felt however that the rarity and uniqueness of the performances precluded any flaws in the recording quality.

1 - 30 Pier Ave.

(Jimmy Giuffre)

2 - Coop De Ville

(Bob Cooper)

3 - Big Boy

(Jimmy Giuffre)

Shorty Rogers (trumpet); Jimmy Giuffre, Bob Cooper (tenor saxes); Milt Bernhart (trombone);

Hampton Hawes (piano); Howard Rumsey (bass); Shelly Manne (drums).

Lighthouse Cafe, March 15, 1953

4 - Topsy

(Eddie Durham, Edgar Battle )

Stan Getz, Bob Cooper (tenor saxes); Jimmy Giuffre (baritone sax); Teddy Charles (vibes);

Russ Freeman (piano); Howard Rumsey (bass); Shelly Manne (drums).

Lighthouse Cafe, March 15, 1953

5 - What's New

(Bob Haggart)

Maynard Ferguson (trumpet), Hampton Hawes (piano),

Howard Rumsey (bass), Shelly Manne (drums)

Lighthouse Cafe, June 21, 1953 

6 -Lester Leaps In

(Lester Young)

Harry "Sweets" Edison, Shorty Rogers (trumpets); Jimmy Giuffre, Bob Cooper (tenor saxes);

Russ Freeman (piano); Howard Rumsey (bass); Shelly Manne (drums).

Lighthouse Cafe, June 21, 1953

7 - Funnyfied

(Jimmy Giuffre)

Rolf Ericson (trumpet), Bob Cooper (tenor sax), Herb Geller (alto sax),

Claude Williamson (piano), Howard Rumsey (bass), Max Roach (drums).

Lighthouse Cafe, September 13, 1953

8 - No Socks

(Howard Roberts)

Stu Williamson (trumpet); Zoot Sims, Bud Shank (tenor saxes); Claude Williamson (piano);

Howard Rumsey (bass); Stan Levey (drums); Jack Costanzo (conga).

Lighthouse Cafe, November 28, 1954

9 - Now I Lay Me Down To Dream

(Ted Fiorito)

Bob Cooper (tenor sax), Frank Rosolino (trombone),

Sonny Clark (piano), Howard Rumsey (bass), Stan Levey (drums).

ABC TV Studios, Hollywood, California, September 3, 1956

10 - Gal In Calico

(Robin, Schwartz)

Conte Candoli (trumpet), Bob Cooper (tenor sax), Frank Rosolino (trombone),

Dick Shreve (piano), Howard Rumsey (bass), Stan Levey (drums).

Lighthouse Cafe, 1957

11 - Evening In Paris

(Victor Feldman)

Bob Cooper (tenor sax), Frank Rosolino (trombone),

Victor Feldman (piano, vibes), Howard Rumsey (bass), Stan Levey (drums).

Lighthouse Cafe, 1958

12 - Lighthouse Commercial • Confirmation • Topsy

(Charlie Parker) • (Eddie Durham, Edgar Battle )

KMLA's "Night Life" Broadcast from Lighthouse Cafe,1957

Lighthouse All-Stars Collection XI

Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All-Stars

Jazz Structures

This album represents a fundamental turning point and, in many ways, the conclusion of the canonical corpus of the Lighthouse All-Stars recordings. Although it fits chronologically into the Lighthouse All-Stars Collection series, its nature demands a dual interpretation: on one hand, it belongs to the band's main line; on the other, as Howard Rumsey himself did not participate as a session musician, the record functions as a natural heir to the Lighthouse Series that the All-Stars produced for the Liberty label.

Unlike the recordings captured in the effervescent atmosphere of the club in Hermosa Beach, Jazz Structures sought an almost "architectural" clarity. To achieve this, Rumsey moved the project to United Recording Corp. in Hollywood. Under the technical direction of Bill Putnam, the studio environment allowed for a technical precision impossible to reach in a live setting, capturing Bob Cooper’s complex arrangements with absolute fidelity. The use of specialized microphones and the controlled acoustics of United Recording provided this work with a unique sonic texture within the group's discography.

It is worth noting that while this album marks the end of a formal era, the legacy of the Lighthouse All-Stars — with or without Howard Rumsey in their ranks — extends through many more recordings. Much of that material, generally recorded live and featuring top-tier special guests (Miles Davis, Art Pepper, Stan Getz), is currently scattered across official releases and valuable unreleased recordings that we will be discovering in the near future.

It was over 12 years ago that bassist Howard Rumsey left the Stan Kenton Orchestra and, in his own words, "decided to find a permanent home for the music of jazz on the west coast". Today, the Howard Rumsey All-Stars, based at the Lighthouse in Hermosa Beach, California, are internationally famous. As Stan Kenton says today: "Much credit must go to Rumsey as a pioneer and an enlightened promoter for the best in jazz". For the past five years, composer-tenorist Bob Cooper (or "Coop" as he is affectionately known) has been a leading member of Rumsey's Lighthouse group.

"Les Novros, head of Graphic Films, wanted to have jazz as the background music for his A BUILDING IS MANY BUILDINGS picture", Howard Rumsey tells. "This is a color documentary film showing the construction of the new Union Oil building in downtown Los Angeles".

"Novros wanted mostly improvisation originally", Rumsey continues. "I arranged for Bob Cooper to do the score and he took off like a bird. 'Coop' was so impressed by the calibre of the film that he went a lot further, musically, than we had planned".

"The score is a mixture of classical and jazz", Rumsey concludes, "and I think that 'Coop' really outdid himself!". (from the liner notes)

One of the most exciting jazz bands of the musically fertile '50s and '60s, Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All-Stars performed a wide variety of styles ranging from standard bebop and post-bop to the cool West Coast style. The band also included several first-rate arrangers and composers, with Jimmy Giuffre and Bob Cooper receiving special mention. The band also included many of the top musicians of the West Coast jazz scene that boasted the likes of Conte Candoli, Frank Rosolino (who are featured here), Bud Shank, Bill Perkins, Victor Feldman and Stan Levey, to name but a few. This particular release showcases the versatility of this exciting group. Jazz Structures reveals both the complexity of the compositions and precision of the arrangements. All of the charts were written, arranged and conducted by Bob Cooper. The album features the music that Cooper scored for Les Novros documentary A Building Is Many Buildings, where the construction of the new "Union Oil Building" in Los Angeles is described in this film. *Jordi Pujol*

Side 1

1 - Genesis (Pt. II)

2 - Architectonics

Directional Suite 

3 - Introduction

4 - a) Impulse

5 - b) Automatons

6 - c) Impulsion (Pt. 1)

7 - c) Impulsion (Pt. 2)

Side 2

Directional Suit

(continued)

8 - d) Complexus

The Worker 

9 - a) Rain Blues

10 - b) In The Morning

11 - c) Quittin' Time

12 - Edifice

(All compositions by Bob Cooper)

#1 to #8 and #10:

Bob Cooper (tenor sax), Conte Candoli (trumpet), Frank Rosolino (trombone), 

Buddy Collette (bass clarinet [#2], baritone sax [#1, #3 to #8]),

Bud Shank (alto sax [#1,#8 ], B-flat clarinet [#2], flute [#3 to #8]),

Victor Feldman (piano, vibes, tambourine, conga, boo-bams and bongos [#2 to #8]),

Monty Budwig (bass), Stan Levey (drums).

#9, #11, #12:

Bob Cooper (tenor sax), Conte Candoli (trumpet), Frank Rosolino (trombone),

Buddy Collette (bass clarinet [#9], baritone sax [#12]),

Bud Shank (alto sax [#12], alto flute [#9, #11]),

Joe Castro (piano), Larry Bunker (vibes), Red Callender (bass), Stan Levey (drums).

Howard Rumsey (leader)

Recorded at United Recording Corp., Hollywood, California,

November 21 (#1, #2), November 22 (#3 to #7) and November 29 (#8 to #12), 1960.

Note:

When analyzing the "Directional Suite" in the liner notes, the following peculiarity is noted:

""This particular music depicts workers driving little electric carts", Bob Cooper remembers. "Victor Feldman plays boo-bams here. They're a kind of tuned bongo. After more effusive drum work by Stan Levey, there's simultaneous jazz improvisation. The separation of this collective invention is particularly remarkable in the stereo version of this album".

Consequently, both versions (monaural and stereo) are presented here to

allow for comparison and to appreciate the specific sonic detail described.